Method of making steel wool pads



June 5, 1934. Q 1 CRARY 1,96,339

METHOD OF MAKING STEEL WOOL PADS Filed April 2l, 1953 INVEN-ron 6 3 LHKENCE fc/ir/ Patented June 5, 1934 PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING STEEL WOOL PADS Clarence J. Crary, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Ralph W. Crary, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 21, 193, Serial N0. 667,201

Claims. (Cl. 29g-148) This invention relates to the method of making a steel wool pad so that it is particularly adapted 'for laundry and tailor ironing presses.

A particular object of my invention is to so construct a pad that several faults common to pads in present day use, that is, spreading, distortion and retention of moisture which has a tendency to rust mark garments and eventually break down the pad are eliminated. A still further object of my invention is to so construct a pad made of steel bound, steel wool by a method employing a number of steps whereby spreading is subsequently prevented and one, that, being of metallic construction, quickly dries and thereby prevents accumulation of moisture in the interior thereof.

Changes and variations may be made in the method shown and described without departing from the principles of the invention or sacrificing its chief advantages; hence such invention is not to be confined to the structures shown in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the first step in the process or method of forming my steel wool pad.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the second step in the process of producing the steel wool pad.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the third step in the operation of the steel wool pad production.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and illustrates the built up construction of the steel wool pad as carried out by the steps illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing a modified form of pad construction in which the edges are crimped to provide smoothness, in this instance, two pad constructions being combined to produce a single pad of a more resilient nature, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a further modified form of pad construction.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 5 indicates a mass of steel wool in spiral or tangled form as commonly used which, as a rst step in my operation, is placed in a die of any desired shape and subjected to a pressure of 200 tons, The mass is then removed and bound lengthwise with long strands of steel Wool which are wrapped continuously about the mass 5, lengthwise thereof. The second pressing operationis then carried out by placing the combined mass 5 and its binding strands 6 in a die and then subjecting the pad thus formed to a further pressure of 200 tons.

As a third step in the operation is removed from the die and is then wrapped transversely or Widthwise with long strands of steel .Wool 1 and 4 the pad thus formed is again placed in a die and subjected to a pressure of from 250 to 300 tons to complete the manufacture of the pad. If desired, the pad may be further covered with a fabric covering 8 and as a modified form of my invention, attention is directed to Figures 5 and 6 in which a step is employed which prevents the accidental unravelling of the wool at the edges of the pad, which unravelling is prevented by an edge binding forced into the steel wool under the enormous finishing pressure by a suitable edge groove on the forming die and in this connection, reference is made particularly to Figure 5 in which a completed pad 9 is bent in at its ends as at 10 to engage the turned in ends or edges 11 of a similar pad 12 which pads9 and 12 are joined together under a pressure to form a completed pad, which is resilient and yieldable and due to the pinched edge 13 of each of the pads 9 and 12, will not unravel and presents a smooth edge throughout the periphery thereof.

Figure 6 illustrates the completed pad 13 as 80 having an annular bead 14 formed thereon, which bead is formed by pinching the edge of the pad 13 in the shaping4 die. This edge bead 14 pre vents rough edges on the pad and also unravelling of vthe steel wool from which the pad is formed.

The pressures applied to the pad in the process are sufiicient to provide a unit pressure of at least 200 lbs. per square inch over the area of the pad which varies according to the type of pad made.

It is evident, therefore, that I have provided a method of making a pad of steel wool which is always resilient, thus prevents the breakage of buttons while the press is in operation and is al- Ways dry, due to the temperature of the steel body of the pad. The resilience also forces moisture oui'l of the pad, preventing the same from becoming soggy and slowing up the operation of the press as has been the case where textile pads have been used which become soggy and do not do a perfect pressing of the fabric.

My die is made in dies to t any type of press manufactured for the laundry or tailor trade and effects a saving of over 40% in the operation of laundry and tailor pressing machines as compared with the machines using fabric padding. Further, the heat of the steel wool quickly dries all moisture within the pad and prevents rust marks on the garment and the pad itself having been constructed by vvarious steps involving the vents spreading thereof under the ordinary pressers used in pressing operations and also, prevents breaking down of the bres of the steel wool by continuous operation due to the fact that they have been initially subjected to enormous pressure.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details of construction shown since various changes and modications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages derived from its use.

What I claim isz- 1. The method of making a pressing pad which consists in subjecting a loose mass of steel wool to pressure, wrapping the same lengthwise with steel wool strands and subjecting the mass to pressure and then Wrapping the same widthwise with steel wool strands and subjecting the same to pressure, and all of said pressures being at least 200 pounds per square inch.i

2. The method of making a pressing pad which consists in subjecting a loose mass of steel wool to pressure, and then wrapping the mass with steel wool in strand form to cover the loose mass and subjecting the whole to pressure, and all of said pressure, and all of said pressures being at least 200 pounds per square inch.

4; The method of making a pressing pad which consists in subjecting a loose mass of steel wool to pressure and then wrapping the mass with steel wool in strand form to cover the loose mass and subjecting the whole to pressure, then combining two pads so made and subjecting them to pressure to form a unitary pad; and all of said pressures being at least 200 pounds per square inch.

5. The method of making a pressing pad which consists in subjecting a loose mass of steel wool to a pressure of at least 200 pounds per square inch, then wrapping the mass of steel wool in strand form to cover the loose mass and subjecting the whole to a pressure of at least 200 pounds per square inch.

CLARENCE' J. CRARY. [1.. s.] 

